CAT OWNERS FACE HEFTY FINES AS MELBOURNE COUNCIL INTRODUCES 24-HOUR ‘CAT CURFEW’
Source: 9News (Extract)
Posted: July 1, 2021
Residents in Melbourne’s east could be hit with pricey fines if their cats stray from their home at anytime.
The 24 hour cat curfew is being implemented in the City of Knox and set to come into effect October 1.
But the rule is considered unfair by some locals, including two-year-old ragdoll Franklin who loves exploring the outdoors.
“We try to keep our cat in our yard, but sometimes he’s naughty and runs away or runs into the neighbour’s yard,” Franklin’s owner Madeline White told 9News.
As a resident pet of the Knox City Council, he will now be confined to the house and backyard 24-hours-a-day under the cat curfew.
“We walk him on a sort of lead, and he did eventually graduate off the lead because he’s really well behaved,” Ms White said.
“And then we’ve found in the last few weeks that he just keeps jumping fences or running across the road.”
The local council has ruled all 7000 registered domestic cats in the area must not stray at any time.
Some locals are however in favour of the change.
“It’s no different to any other pet you might own so why should they just roam free,” Knox resident Nick Gaertner said.
The move has also been welcomed by local environmentalists.
“Obviously the loss of birds and small mammals and lizards by cats is a problem and it would be great to see if it has an effect,” Knox Environment Society President Richard Faragher said.
Under the new law cat owners will be hit with a $91 fine for their first offence, which will jump to $545 for the second or subsequent fines.
“To think that I could get charged $500, just because my cat has run across the street is a bit … it’s stressful,” Ms White said.
“It’s quite a lot of money.”
For the first six months there will be a fine amnesty, with warnings in place until the community is educated about the new rules.
Knox City Council Mayor, Cr Lisa Cooper said the 24-hour cat curfew is designed to protect cats and local wildlife.
“Much like the rules for dogs and other pets, cats won’t be allowed to roam freely from their owners’ property. When allowed to roam cats are at a much higher risk of illness and injury,” she said in a statement.
“Keeping cats within their owners’ property also protects wildlife and prevents them causing nuisance for neighbours and their pets.”
The decision is an action of the council’s Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-2021, which Knox Council said was supported by 85 per cent of people surveyed.